South Kitsap Montessori Wins Appeal, Gets Longer Hours of Operation

A Montessori school along Bethel-Burley Road can finally operate as originally intended after county commissioners overruled a hearing examiner decision Monday night.

The board ruled in favor of school owners Annette and Terry Weaver, who appealed Hearing Examiner Ted Hunter’s decision to deny the couple a conditional-use permit. The permit is needed to operate their Montessori Farmhouse School and an associated child care center.

The Weavers appealed an initial decision earlier this summer by Hunter, who denied their application citing concerns about the school’s location and its impact on surrounding property owners.

He mentioned potential traffic problems and possible damage to the wetlands by schoolchildren. But what garnered the most attention were his comments about “noise generated by laughter and screaming of young children during outdoor playtime.”

Commissioners sent the decision back to Hunter, requesting he provide reasons for disagreeing with information presented by county planning staff. A month later he reversed his decision, this time approving the school, but limiting its hours of operation to 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the week.

The Weavers originally proposed running the school from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate before- and after-school child care, and appealed the decision to county commissioners.

South Kitsap Commissioner Charlotte Garrido said Monday night the original proposed hours of operation met the needs of Kitsap’s working families, and proposed the commissioners affirm the Weaver’s appeal with the modification of restoring the hours to the original proposal.